1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a production system for belt-form edible dough that divides the edible dough and shapes it into a belt-form, and the method of using the system.
2. Prior Art
The production system of the prior art (e.g., U.S. Ser. No. 08/779,178) has a body frame as its base and provides a hopper for dividing to keep edible dough (e.g., dough for bread) inside. A dividing cutter device that cuts and divides edible dough is provided at the bottom opening of the hopper. A hopper for shaping in which the divided edible dough bodies are charged is disposed below the dividing cutter device. A level sensor that can switch to ON or OFF is disposed to detect whether the upper height limit of the edible dough charged into the hopper reaches the predetermined height within the hopper. A pair of shaping/conveying devices, which are V-shaped to squeeze the dough to be shaped into a belt-form and to convey it downwards, is disposed at the bottom opening of the hopper. A motor for conveying to drive the pair of shaping/conveying devices is disposed at a proper position. A conveyor to carry the belt-form edible dough is disposed below the pair of shaping/conveying devices.
The above production system also has a controlling section. When the upper limit level of the edible dough reaches the predetermined level within the hopper, the level sensor switches from OFF to ON. The controlling section responds to this switch to start the drive of the motor for conveying for shaping/conveying. When the level sensor switches from ON to OFF after the start, the controlling section responds to this to start the dividing cutter.
As above, after edible dough is placed in the hopper for the divider to be cut and divided by the dividing cutter device, the dough is charged into the hopper for shaping. By repeating the above cycle a plurality of times, the upper limit level of the edible dough reaches the predetermined level within the hopper for shaping. By this, the level sensor switches from OFF to ON. Then the controlling section responds to start the motor for conveying for shaping/conveying. This results in the pair of shaping/conveying devices squeezing the dough into a belt-form and conveying the belt-form edible dough downwards to discharge it onto the conveyor. The edible dough is then carried by the conveyor to the next production system.
When the edible dough is discharged through the gap for discharging, the upper limit level of the edible dough inside the hopper for shaping gradually becomes lower than the predetermined level. By this, the level sensor switches from ON to OFF. The controlling section responds to this to start the dividing cutter device to cut and divide the dough. Then the dough is charged into the hopper for shaping. Thereafter the edible dough is shaped into a belt-form and discharged onto the conveyor. This cycle is repeated whenever the level sensor switches from ON to OFF.
But to stabilize the hourly throughput of the belt-form edible dough was difficult by using the prior belt-form edible dough production system. When the hourly throughput of the edible dough varies, keeping a good condition of the dough is difficult and it results in the belt-form edible dough being inefficiently processed at the next stage of production.